Peter FitzSimons

What’s doing with Jonesy and Roger Rogerson? Ten years or so ago, I remember listening as Alan Jones did a breathtakingly soft interview – the softest I’ve ever heard, outside every Coalition politician, ever – where he bowled up the disgraced detective a series of questions about whether he had ever done anything corrupt or violent. Rogerson replied “No, Mr Jones, never,” or words to that effect, about ten times, and Jones finished up with something along the lines of “Well, there you have it, you’ve heard it from the horse’s mouth. Thank you Roger Rogerson.”

Jones obvious rapport with Rogerson was as stunning to me as his similar support for the murderer Andrew Kalajzich who Jones agitated to get out of jail, only for the Court of Appeal to find the Manly hotelier guiltier the second time than the first.

And this week – in the wake of Rogerson’s arrest for murder – there has been much comment about how odd it was that Jones actually launched Rogerson’s book,The Dark Side, in 2009, asserting that the streets would be much safer if only we had more detectives like him.

The morning after Rogerson’s arrest, I listened carefully. Jones didn’t get to the subject of the day until 20 minutes into his show, and then said in what amounted to a quick, carefully calibrated statement that he had no relationship with Rogerson, and it was the publisher, not Rogerson, who asked him to launch the book, so there, and anyway, he didn’t really mean we needed more detectives like him in that sense. I repeat, what’s doing, Alan? Every election, and most times in between, you are the loudest drum beater for “Laura Norder” and yet you have this weird predilection for baddies?

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GUN BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

The way of the world these days is that even though six people were gunned down in California a week ago, details are already starting to fade But you still remember, don’t you, the father of one of them, Christopher Michael-Martinez – who happened to be standing in a convenience store when the shots rang out – making a speech for the ages:

“Why did Chris die?” he tearfully and angrily demanded. “Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA. They talk about gun rights. What about Chris’s right to live? When will this insanity stop? When will enough people say, ‘Stop this madness’. We do not have to live like this!”

You were moved, I was moved, some Americans were moved. But not all of them were. As noted by American journalist, Charles P. Pierce, the Chairman of the Election Commission of Simpsonville, South Carolina, Todd Kincannon, tweeted his response to the grieving father.

“F--k him. He is a piece of shit. His tragedy sucks, but he blamed me for it and wants to take away my rights. The guy is trying to take away my rights to protect my family. F--k him every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

He went on: “No idea how my son will die, but I know it won't be cowering like a bitch at UC Santa Barbara. Any son of mine would have been shooting back.”

This is no straw man. This is a response emblematic of large parts of the American population. And your job, and my job, is to make sure that gun nutters here are subdued.

MEDICATING WITH POT

Though it didn’t seem to get much media traction, the Greens NSW on Tuesday launched a sensible bill to protect certified medical users of cannabis from criminal prosecution – as is already the case in 20 states in the US. Following the unanimous findings of last year's cross-party Upper House inquiry into medical uses of cannabis, it would permit people “with a terminal illness to apply, on the recommendation of their treating doctor to the NSW Department of Health, for a card that would exempt them and their carers from prosecution for possession of 15 grams or less of crude cannabis.”

As Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: “It is time for policy driven by compassion and science, not hysteria and prejudice.”

Personally, I would go much further, but this would be a great start for sanity on the issue.

MUST SEE

If you only watch one thing this week, I recommend watching the first part of Taking on the Chocolate Frog, on SBS on Sunday at 9.30 pm. As previously noted in this column, it's about actual prisoners becoming actors to play parts in a play written by another prisoner, and it is brilliantly executed by all.

JOKE OF THE WEEK

The AMA has weighed in on Joe Hockey’s proposed changes to Australia’s health services. The allergists voted to scratch them, but the dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves. The gastroenterologists had a sort of gut feeling about it, but the neurologists thought he had a lot of nerve. The obstetricians felt he was labouring under a misconception. Ophthalmologists considered the ideas short-sighted. Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!" while the paediatricians said, "Oh, Grow up!" The psychiatrists thought the ideas were madness, while the radiologists could see right through them. The surgeons were fed up with the cuts and decided to wash their hands of the whole thing. The ENT specialists didn't swallow it, and just wouldn’t hear of it. The pharmacists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the plastic surgeons said, "This puts a whole new face on the matter..." The podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the urologists were pissed off at the whole idea. The anaesthetists thought the ideas were a gas, but the cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.

In the end, the proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the arseholes in parliament!

It was a headline printed in Variety, a newspaper covering Hollywood and the entertainment industry, on July 17, 1935, over an article about the reaction of rural audiences to movies about rural life. "Sticks Nix Hick Pix" means that people in rural areas ("the sticks") reject ("nix") motion pictures ("pix") about rural life ("hicks”).

As ever

Bob Dixon

WHAT THEY SAID

“It is significant that when the Pope saw the wall, the sniper tower and the gate, he insisted on getting out of his vehicle to feel what the Palestinians feel every day. He saw how it separates the two holy cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem and prevents Palestinian Christians from reaching their places of worship.”

Ashraf Khatib√, a spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organisation√, after the Pope made an unscheduled stop, and prayed for four minutes, at the metres-high concrete barrier that has become a symbol of repression to Palestinians throughout their divided state.

“Jesus was here, in this land. He spoke Hebrew.”

Israeli’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu√, to the Pope.

“Aramaic.”

The Pope in reply.

“He spoke Aramaic√, but he knew Hebrew.”

Netanyahu in reply. (Biblical scholars said both men were right - while Christ’s mother tongue was Aramaic, he would have known Hebrew.)

55 comments

Well Todd Kincannon is probably right, his son wouldn't be inside cowering like a bitch.... He would more likely be the coward outside firing at unarmed victims with Daddy's arsenal...

And despite the over supply of firearms in the American market, that good guy with the gun was again nowhere to be seen..

Commenter

Dotty

Location

Taree Sth

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 9:03AM

@Dotty - Yes, it seems to be the wet-dream of every gun-nut that they'll be Hero On The Spot if ever some psycho starts shooting up the place. The fact is that no professional (e.g., military or police member) wants some amateur full of adrenaline and Bruce Willis movies blazing away when what is needed is a cool head and accurate aiming.

A few years ago, an armed security guard (i.e., someone allegedly trained in using firearms in a combat situation) here in Australia (Sydney, I think) fired five shots at a robber. And missed. Those five shots must have hit something, but fortunately for him it wasn't some innocent bystander or his fellow security guard(s). And in 2004 another Australian security guard shot dead an unarmed robber as he was trying to escape.

It's no job for amateurs or poorly-trained pseudo-professionals. The gutless and inhumane rant by Kincannon gives us a small insight into how America has made such a mess of its gun control situation.

Commenter

Lewis Winders

Location

Tasmania

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 2:53PM

You're right about Jones. Isn't his motto 'pick and stick'?. Until the sticking becomes too, well, sticky, it looks like. Jones has form on making pals of crimslike this. Decades ago, the owner of the Manly Pacific Hotel, Andrew Kalazich, was convicted of murder after hiring a hitman to shoot his wife as she slept beside him. Somehow, Jones was convinced Kalazich had been wronfully convicted, despite strong evidence from the hitman who turned the job down, the actual hitman, and the intermediary. Jones campaigned hard on radio for a review of the verdict. The government caved in and appointed a judicial review headed by Justice Slattery, who, after a year long enquiry costing $5M, found that the verdict was completely sound. Jones was unabashed, but dumped Kalazich,

Commenter

rudy

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 9:07AM

At least Jones is an expert on Climate Science.

He will stop the sea level rises as well as King Canute,

Who needs to listen to expert scientists anyway?

Commenter

Born Yesterday

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 6:37PM

Gotta laugh,the Joke of the Week was good,and I doubt whether anyone is surprised by anything Alan Jones says or does.And good news on the medicinal marijuana front.Also,the US House of Reps has passed a motion instructing Federal Agencies to lay off states that have passed laws on M.M.Hopefully the DEA will get the message.

Commenter

jameshenry

Location

Sandy Beach

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 9:25AM

A bit of a reality check peter fitzsimons. firstly six people weren't shot in California during the Santa Barbara massacre, only three were if you count the perpetrator who shot himself, three were stabbed, two were run over by his BMW. Secondly you choose to smear the entire population of the United States with that rant by loose lipped journalist, if anyone else had done that to any other group (homosexual, women, Muslim or black) you'd be taken to court.

Commenter

Reality check

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 9:29AM

Only three people? Well that's alright then.

Commenter

stevek

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 2:09PM

What group are you talking about? Sociopathic straight men?

Commenter

Jace

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 2:56PM

Well that's a load off my mind. There I was thinking the USA had a problem with mass homicides due to guns.

Commenter

Olaf

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 3:10PM

RC,

I believe that the entire population of the US would include women [the majority], blacks [a large minority], homosexuals, Muslims or is the entire population of the US made up of only white males?